Our Plan Isn’t Always God’s Plan

Hi Family and Friends!

Here’s an update on what’s new for me on the race! To say it’s been a wild few weeks is very much an understatement.

But before I get started –

Throughout this blog, we’re gonna keep count of “Praise the Lord” moments. Even though it has been rough, we need to remember that God’s plan is sovereign through it all, and there is much to praise Him for! So please praise Him with me as you read this!

How It All Began – June 14th

Our squad has been battling with Covid-19 for about a month now. We have been isolating and getting tested and isolating and getting tested over and over again.

Unfortunately, it was taking a little longer than we had hoped to kick that stupid virus to the curb.

Meanwhile, at the end of June, our visa extentions were gonna expire, and it was a lot more difficult than expected to get them renewed. We had already had them extended once, and they were quite hesitant to do it again for us. After explaining that we were stuck in Honduras with Covid-19, they agreed to extend the visas for $200 a piece. Yikes!

The next country on our route was South Africa. Our flights have been booked and our ministry partners were ready for us. So we decided to go ahead and send as many people as we could to South Africa on time.

Following the CDC guidelines of course, those who were currently positive and those who were considered directly exposed stayed behind. While the rest of us got on the plane for our layover in New Jersey. Also, one girl had to go home for an unexpected surgery.

That ended up being the longest layover I have ever experienced. We were stuck in New Jersey for a total of 13 days.

25 in Honduras. 1 in California. 17 in NJ.

Attempt #1 – Day 1 in New Jersey

We had, for the most part, no problems leaving Honduras, and we got there on the first try (Praise the Lord #1).

Sum Up – Not everyone was on the flight, but everyone ended up on the flight in the end (#2)!

Our plane landed that night, we spent the night, some had family/friends visit, left for the airport the next afternoon, and attempted to board our plane to South Africa.

We’re trying to check in, and they tell us that our covid tests may be invalid.

(Well, everyone’s but mine, but that’s a whole story in itself. Here’s the short version – I had a different test done, and my type of test was the only valid type to get into South Africa.)

Back to the Story – While the airline was figuring it all out, they had us go ahead with checking in for our flight. We checked our bags, went through security, and waited at the gate for our flight. At this point it’s almost 9pm.

As the plane was boarding, our group was pulled aside, and told that if we went to South Africa with our current tests, we’d be deported. Or in my case, everyone in my group would have been deported but me.

Either way, this would have been a horrific experience, so praise the Lord (#3) that we never had to go through that.

 

Even though it was a hard day, God blessed us in a mighty way that night! United airlines wanted to take care of us and gave us hotel vouchers and food vouchers (#4)! Also, they took us out for pizza and gave us a free toiletry set, water bottles, and a drawstring bag (#5)! They were so kind, and it really lifted our spirits!

So our plan was to spend the night again, get correctly tested in the morning, and hop on the flight that evening.

Attempt #2 – Day 2 in New Jersey

The next day, we show back up at the airport. We go and get tested and wait for our results.

Slowly we receive our results one by one, negative after negative.

Then, we get a positive.

Immediately, the CDC got involved. And when I say involved, I mean we were literally theirs at that point.

After being questioned, 7 of us were escorted to a hotel, immediately put into a ten-day isolation in each of our own rooms, provided with food by the state health department, and received letters telling us that we were being monitored by hotel security to ensure the safety of their guests.

Praise the Lord (#6) that the other 10 had already had Covid-19, so they didn’t need to isolate. But after AIM prayed and discussed heavily, they decided to keep us all together, so we weren’t split into another group in another country.

Quarantine – Days 3-10 in New Jersey

Then, the Covid-19 status of South Africa was adjusted to an alert level 4 – which is not good.

Long story short – if we went to South Africa, we’d have a hard time leaving it. We would be unable to enter most countries after coming from a country at that status. (Praise the Lord #7 that we hadn’t sent anyone yet!)

So again, AIM had to rethink our route plan. No longer could we go to South Africa.

Meanwhile, Europe has pretty much recovered. Covid-19 rates are low. They have reopened their countries to tourists and have reduced most restrictions.

One of AIM’s ministry partners in Romania said that he would take us right away (#8), so after prayer and discussion again, they decide to send us to Romania.

17 of the group in Honduras finished their quarantine, tested negative, picked up the one girl in California on the way (the one who went home for the unexpected surgery), and headed to Romania.

They got there!!! And God definitely deserves praise for each person as they make it to Romania, since it has been such a journey (#9-26)!

5 in Honduras. 14 in NJ. 18 in Romania.*

*All of this Covid-19 mess and quarantining was hard on us, and while we were transitioning, some people decided to leave the race and go home. In our ten-day quarantine span, we had a total of 6 people go home – 3 in New Jersey and 3 in Honduras.

Attempt #3 – Day 11 in New Jersey

The 7 who weren’t in isolation with us, but still in New Jersey due to a lack of flight availability, had their flight scheduled for this afternoon.

Those of us in isolation couldn’t book flights while on a travel restriction and it was looking like it’d be another week and a half until we could get on a flight.

After explaining the situation to the CDC, we all got tested and tested negative, so we were released from isolation, cleared by the CDC to travel, had our travel restriction lifted, and finally able to book flights (#27).

They booked our flights the morning of, we packed our bags quickly, and headed to the airport to make our flight and join the other 7.

They were able to fly no problem (#28).

Apparently, we were not as easily able to fly. A miscommunication within the CDC claimed that we aren’t actually cleared to travel and because we rode on a shuttle with an “active positive case”, we should be placed into another ten-day quarantine.

Thankfully, all the confusion was cleared up and we didn’t need to do that (#29). But it took so long to get cleared up, we missed our flight.

Meanwhile, the 5 still in Honduras were able to fly and meet the 7 from NJ who also got to fly in Germany during their layovers (#30).

7 in NJ. 12 in Germany. 18 in Romania.

Day 12 in New Jersey

Couldn’t fly today, but …

The other 12 got to Romania! Praise the Lord (#31-42)!

7 in NJ. 30 in Romania.

Attempt #4 – Day 13 in New Jersey

We had to wait to get another flight, but availability opened up (#43).

Of course, we had to get tested again to fly, and praise the Lord (#44) that we all tested negative!

For some reason, we show up at the airport weirdly feeling like we’ve done this before. Can’t imagine why …

But this time, it was sooo smooth (#45)! We flew through each step problem-free!

We get off the plane for our layover in Germany, had a few hiccups in Frankfurt, but nothing we can’t handle!

Sum Up – My friend eventually found her bag (#46). We eventually figured out which terminal we belong in (#47). We eventually found our gate (#48).

We made it on our flight to Romania (#49), landed with all our bags (#50), got through customs without being put in quarantine (#51), and had an eventless ride to the ministry house (#52)!

The 7 of us finally made it (#53-59)!!!

All 37 in Romania.

Reunited in Craiova, Romania – July 13th

For the first time in a month, the squad is together in the same country, same city, same house (#60).

 

We currently have no active cases of Covid-19 (#61). We still have 12 racers that were put into quarantine upon arrival as a precaution. They have been able to do ministry at the house – doing administrative work and actively in prayer/intercession (#62). They should be out on Wednesday! Please be praying for them during this time!

The rest of us have been able to begin ministry in the city while partnering with Hope Church (#63). Please pray for us out here too! My next blog will share more about what we are doing here and more specific prayer requests!

And just a few days in, I already have no doubt that this is where we were meant to be. How we got here was definitely an adventure, and without it all, we’d be in South Africa right now.

 

But that’s not where God wanted us. He wanted us here. So He made it happen (#64)!

Our plan isn’t always God’s plan.

But if I had to go through all that again just to be where God wanted me to be, I’d do it again.

There’s no place I’d rather be, and I’m eager and expectant to see God show up here in Romania!

Psalm 27:13-14

I remain confident of this:
    I will see the goodness of the Lord
    in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord;
    be strong and take heart
    and wait for the Lord.

Let’s give an extra “Praise the Lord” just because we can and we should (#65). Listen below!